


Fragments

by Chericola



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Angst, F/M, Realm of Darkness, kh3
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-21
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-05-26 05:59:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14994320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chericola/pseuds/Chericola
Summary: Snippets of Terra and Aqua, in the Realm of Darkness and beyond. Set just before and during KH3.





	1. Fragments

It only takes a second. He shouts out her name, but can only watch in horror as she is thrown back into darkness. All of his power is being used to restrain Xehanort long enough for Aqua to escape.

Xehanort struggles as the chains wrap around him. His eyes flash with fury at Terra. A promise. It’s worth it, though, if it keeps Aqua safe from him.

oooo

She hasn’t changed at all since the last time they saw each other. She’s carrying Master Eraqus’ keyblade, Master Keeper, in her hand.

‘Aqua?’

Pure darkness surrounds them both. He can’t see any of their surroundings.

Aqua jumps slightly, and whips around like lightning, keyblade at the ready to attack. The look in her eyes makes him take a step back—it’s an angry, almost feral look that he’s never seen on her face before.

‘How do I know you’re not Xehanort? Or an illusion?’

Her eyes, filled with suspicion, lock on his.

‘Trust me. I’m real and I’m not Xehanort.’ As real as can be, anyway. He’s not sure what his current status is, seeing as he’s a heart and mind trapped in and bound to darkness.

He wants to ask about Ven, but doesn’t think that it’s a good idea, especially after what he just said about Xehanort. Aqua however must see the question in his eyes, because she answers quietly, ‘I haven’t seen him since we were in Enchanted Dominion. It’s been a while.’

oooo

‘You’re right not to trust me,’ he says, looking away. ‘I wouldn’t trust me.’

‘Terra, I’m sorry,’ she sighs. ‘I just… can’t.’

‘I know.’

He echoes her sigh, and she reaches out to put a hand on his arm before remembering that he’s not corporeal.

‘We can talk about other things, okay?’

oooo

When he next visits her, she’s sitting on the edge of a cliff, nursing a wound she’d probably sustain during a battle with Heartless. She doesn’t look up as she feels him appear.

‘That looks bad.’

She shakes her head. ‘It’s nothing a curaga won’t heal.’

It hurts too much to speak, so she doesn’t say anything more. It’s just like her, to try and be strong and brave even when she doesn’t have to be.

He can see a fading scrape across her cheek, and a bleeding cut on her cracked lips. He wishes he could help her somehow, hug her at the very least, make her feel like she’s not alone. But he’s just a projection—he doesn’t have that power. He can only watch as she winces and struggles not to cry and tries to be strong.

‘You shouldn’t come here,’ Aqua says.

He turns to look at her. There’s worry in her eyes—and fear. Her brow is creased in a way that he hates.

He laughs—or tries to. ‘Since when do you tell me where I should be?’

He hopes to make her smile; he only succeeds in deepening her frown.

‘You shouldn’t put yourself at risk like this. I know what he does to you, when you’re not here. ????’

He looks away. ‘It doesn’t matter.’

‘It matters to me,’ she snaps. ‘I don’t want you to get hurt because of me!’

He closes his eyes and waits for his temper to subside before trying to speak.

‘It’s my choice. Do you think being with him is better than being here? I miss you. I’ve missed you for ages. Do you really think I wouldn’t choose this?’

‘I miss you too,’ she says quietly. Compassion laces her voice. ‘But it hurts that you hurt. Sometimes I wish you wouldn’t.’

oooo

‘Terra?’

‘Yeah?’

‘I’m glad you’re here.’

‘Me too,’ he says.

oooo

‘Heartless!’

Aqua’s leaning against a rock when they ambush them; he’s standing beside her. Immediately Master Keeper materializes into her grasp and she straightens into a fighting stance.

He can’t fight alongside her—he’s not completely there and doesn’t even have a keyblade—but he can warn her of approaching Heartless. Which he does.

As always, he loves watching her fight. He loves the grace with which she dispatches her enemies, the fluid movements and acrobatics she utilizes as she darts across the area.

oooo

‘I will take what I am owed from you. Your precious Master Eraqus isn’t here to protect you now. You are alone.’

He can’t help the shiver of remembered fear that ricochets through him. He doesn’t recall much othe split—he only remembers feeling a sudden shock and terror just before being thrown into darkness. It threatened to consume him—it almost had, as his consciousness had begun to fade—but just before the darkness took him, he felt a barrier of light surround him. Master Eraqus. He had protected him from Xehanort’s darkness in the only way he could, and had paid the price for it.

oooo

‘Terra!’

He hears her voice, sees the flash of Master Keeper in his mind’s eye. Somehow, somewhere, he finds the strength to move.

It surprises Xehanort, he sees with some satisfaction. His look-alike’s eyes and narrowed in incredulous, amber-gold fury.

‘I shouldn’t be surprised,’ he remarks. ‘You were always a thorn in my side even before we split into Heartless and Nobody. It’s a pity Eraqus protected you—I would’ve consumed you if it weren’t for his interference.’

Terra closes his eyes and lets out a relieved breath he didn’t know he was holding. Thank you, Aqua.

Warmth bathes him, touches his heart like an embrace. He can sense words forming, and though they’re not consciously spoken he knows what they are.

‘I won’t,’ he murmurs, and smiles. 

oooo

‘I have to go. I can’t come back, or–‘ he breaks off and looks away, before repeating in a quieter tone, ‘I can’t come back. I’m sorry.’

‘I know,’ she says. ‘I understand.’ She wants to touch him, hug him or hold his hand, but knows that she would only phase through him. He’s only a ghost, a projection of his heart, influenced by her heart’s memories of him. He’s not really there. He never will be.

‘I’m sorry too.’ She doesn’t cry—her tears had run dry long ago. Numb. She feels numb. ‘Just promise me… you’ll keep fighting. Don’t let the darkness take you.’

‘Only if you promise too,’ he responds. ‘Don’t give up.’

She looks at him for a second, before nodding. ‘I won’t.’ 

oooo

After wandering through endless darkness for who knows how long, the last thing she expects to see is her childhood home—not as she last saw it, transformed into a forbidding castle, but as it used to be before Xehanort destroyed it. Dreaming. She must be dreaming. The Land of Departure is gone. 

She walks up to the summit. It looks as it always has. 

‘Terra!’

His wayfinder is in his hands—she sees him looking at it closely and fingering it. When he hears her call his name he jerks his head up. He doesn’t look any different than the other times she’s seen him, she thinks, except for his eyes. They’re filled with a deep sadness that mirrors her own.

oooo

‘Where’s Ven?’

‘He couldn’t make it.’ Is it her imagination, or do Terra’s eyes glisten slightly as he speaks? 

They sit at the summit, looking up at the stars together. She leans into Terra, savouring the feel of his body against hers after so much time spent alone without any companionship. 

‘I wish Ven was here,’ she says. ‘I wish all three of us could be here, looking up at the stars like we used to.’

He doesn’t say anything, but she knows he agrees. 

oooo

‘Is this the end?’ She forces the terrible words out of her suddenly dry mouth. ‘We’re both trapped. Me in the Realm of Darkness, and you with Xehanort…’

He flinches, and she instantly regrets her choice of words. 

His eyes are sad, but he answers, ‘No.’

A single tear slides down the bridge of her nose. ‘I’m sorry I wasn’t able to save you, or Ven. I’m sorry I failed you.’

‘You haven’t failed us,’ Terra says. ‘It’s not over yet.’

‘How do you know?’

There’s a vulnerable, terrified look in her eyes he’s never seen before.

He squeezes her hand. ‘I believe in you. You’re the strongest person I know. You’ll survive and find a way out and then you’ll save us.’

In his eyes, there isn’t any question. She’s Keyblade Master Aqua and she can do anything.

oooo

They lay on the grass, holding hands, and watch the stars until their time is gone. The world fades to darkness around him; he is left with the brief feelings of contentment and peace that he’ll probably never have again. 

Was any of it real? Or was it all just a dream? Sometimes, he can’t tell. Darkness has a way of twisting a person’s memories into something unrecognizable. Making one doubt their sanity.

In the end, he only knows that he must keep fighting. Like he’d promised Aqua. He won’t let the darkness consume him if he can help it. He’ll survive long enough to see Aqua and Ven again, and make right his mistakes. After that, nothing much will matter anymore.


	2. Meetings

He recognises her as she approaches him. Blue hair that frames her pale face. Equally blue eyes snapping with determination. Part of him fills with a bittersweet joy, while the other part–the Xehanort part–debates whether she would be useful to the Organization, or if he should kill her outright. (it wouldn’t be easy–he knows how capable a warrior she is–but he could do it. He knows her and her fighting style best out of anyone else.)

That’s not going to happen, though, if he can help it.

’… Aqua.’

His voice is different–deeper, colder–but still she stiffens and turns at the sound of it.

Her expression changes to one of cautious hope as she looks at him.

‘Terra?’

He wants to speak, to tell her everything, but the heavy weight of Xehanort’s presence stops him. It’s taking all of his strength to just stop himself from plunging his Keyblade into her chest. Instead he tries to convey with his eyes how much he’s missed her–still misses her.

She takes his hand in hers and squeezes it gently. It feels strange after so many years of lack of physical contact. Strange, but also comforting and right.

'I know you’re in there,’ she says softly.

He leans forward so that their foreheads are touching and closes his eyes, savouring this quiet moment of peace. For this one moment, he’s not alone. He has one of his best friends back with him, even if he can’t really talk to her.

Soon enough, though, the darkness thickens again, and he feels Xehanort’s hatred and contempt rise within him once more. He turns away, roughly shaking off the arm that’s found its way around his back. Aqua steps back from him, her mouth now turned down into a grimace and barely concealed hurt and sadness in her eyes.

I’m sorry, he thinks in the small piece of his heart that still belongs to him.

Without another word he lifts his hand to conjure a corridor of darkness. Aqua steps forward again, as if to stop him, but he’s gone before she can say another word.

oooo

They meet again weeks later, in Radiant Garden. He comes across her in the garden, sitting by the fountain. As soon as he emerges from the corridor of darkness she looks and sees him.

He doesn’t feel much of anything as he gazes at her. Just a faint feeling of joy in the back of his corrupted heart.

There is less sadness in her eyes, this time. He thinks he knows why, but feels compelled to ask her anyway.

'Ven,’ he starts. 'Is he safe?’

That much, she can tell him. 'Yes.’

'Where?’

The words come out not of his own volition. She looks sideways at him. 'You know I can’t tell you that.’

She’s right, but that doesn’t stop him from trying. An ugly coil of darkness rises in him that he doesn’t like. Xehanort.

'Terra.’

Hearing Aqua’s concerned voice, he starts and realises that he’s closed his eyes. He dreads to think what his face must look like.

’S'okay,’ he manages to say before the darkness clamps around his throat again.

Aqua gives him a look that says that she knows it’s not. Silently she takes his unresisting hand and presses into his palm an achingly familiar object. 

To his surprise, tears sting his eyes. When had he last seen his wayfinder?

He doesn’t say anything–just folds his fingers onto the gleaming glass surface. Somehow he feels stronger now that he’s holding it, just like he’d felt tiny fragments of strength return when he met Aqua before.

Aqua carefully places her hand on his arm. 'I found it in Ansem’s laboratory. I thought you might want to see it.’

That’s right. He–no, Xemnas–had hidden it where he’d hidden Aqua’s armour. He hadn’t wanted it to be stolen, or worse, destroyed. It had been the safest place he could think of that no one would dare search.

Destroyed... Xehanort would destroy it, if he could. Already Terra can feel his fingers itching to crush the glass into jagged pieces, to get rid of this insidious symbol of friendship and light. Aqua knows too–he knows she only asked just in case he did want it.

So, she looks unsurprised when he shakes his head and proffers it back to her. She takes it, only slightly disappointed. He doesn’t know how to tell her what he’s thinking about.

'You’re not alone,’ Aqua tells him firmly. 'Remember what you said to Ven, in the Graveyard? The three of us will never be torn apart.’

He can’t do anything but look at her with fear and hope in his eyes. She squeezes his hand tightly. 'Don’t you dare give up now. We’ll find a way.’

Right. He wills his fingers to return her squeeze but can only manage a weak press. The three of us will never be torn apart.


	3. Betrayals

She had been on a mission in Enchanted Dominion when she received the garbled message from Terra. She hadn’t understood all of it, but the message was clear enough that she knew she had to go. The possibility of it being a trap paled in comparison to Terra’s life.

If Ventus had still needed her, she would’ve been more hesitant. But Ven had recovered enough from his thirteen-year-long sleep that he was now training alongside Kairi and Lea in Merlin’s pocket dimension. She herself, being a Keyblade Master, was helping to teach them, when she wasn’t being sent on missions to Heartless-infested worlds. Master Yen Sid would have had her teaching full-time, but there were far too few active wielders among them and countless worlds that still needed protection from the encroaching darkness. 

She supposed that it was a bit foolish to go by herself to meet with Terra, but the urgency of the message had worried her. He had never sounded so desperate and afraid before. If he was in trouble, she couldn’t not try and help him. Not going would’ve gone against everything she was. 

(In any case, whatever was going to happen, she could handle it. She was a master, after all, and she knew Terra. She knew how he fought, his weaknesses and strengths. If they had to fight, she would not be overpowered so easily.)

So it was that she found herself walking across the lush landscape of Dwarf Woodlands, letting her heart lead her to Terra. Until– 

‘You really came.’

Terra’s voice came from behind her, surprisingly close. Starting, she turned to face him.

‘I did,’ she said firmly.

She tensed, ready for his attack, but instead was taken aback when he said, ‘I–I’m glad.’

Her brows rose. His eyes looked different… more desperate and filled with sorrow. Why? What had happened since she last saw him? ‘Terra? What’s wrong? Tell me.’

He shook his head. ‘Aqua, I…’

She could see a shadow in his eyes that he couldn’t keep hidden. It was all she needed to know. A chill ran through her. 

‘Aqua… Before he comes back, you have to–’

He was forced to break off before he could finish, but she understood what he wanted from her. His eyes locked on hers, begging her to kill him. It made her sick to think of what could’ve brought him to that state of mind. 

She shook her head. ‘I can’t,’ she said flatly. Not when I know you’re still you. Not when I know you’re still fighting it.

‘Please…’ She stiffened. The last time he had begged her to put an end to him, it had been shortly after she had locked Ventus’ body away in Castle Oblivion. She had refused to do it then, and she wouldn’t change her mind now. She loved him too much to do so. 

‘No. It’s not too late, Terra. We can still fight this together. Don’t you dare give up now.’ 

Her eyes locked on him, desperately pleading. It stung him to see the pain and grief he was causing her. She (and Ven too) didn’t deserve any of this. Knowing that it was his fault only made it worse. 

‘Please,’ he repeated, this time softly. ‘I don’t want to live like this anymore.’

She closed her eyes and rested her forehead against his. Agony cut through her heart like a knife. No matter what, she couldn’t do it. He had to know that.

‘I’m sorry,’ she whispered. ‘I can’t.’

‘I know.’ 

He cupped her cheek with one gloved hand. She tensed underneath his touch. It was both gentle and menacing—something she’d never have expected from Terra, of all people.

When her eyes blinked open, she could swear that she saw his face–no silver hair and gold eyes, but brown hair and cobalt blue eyes. A face that looked at her with immense sadness, yet also joy.

’Terra?’

He laughed a cold, empty laugh. The visage shattered and was replaced with her reality. Her heart sank as cruel gold irises gazed deeply into her own. 

There was a nauseous sensation in the pit of her stomach as he ran a cold hand along her jaw. ‘Your heart has led you to oblivion,’ he sneered. ‘As we knew it would.’

Her eyes flashed. ‘Guess again,’ she said coolly. ‘I’m not as weak as you think I am. And neither is Terra.’

He scoffed. ‘A foolish belief. Your friend succumbed to me so easily. I control every move he makes.’ 

‘For now. Who knows what will happen in the future?’ 

His fingers gripped her face; she winced at the agony it caused her. ‘You do not wish to test me,’ he said in a deadly voice. ‘He belongs to me. His body and heart are mine now. It must remain that way until the X-Blade is forged.’

She wrenched herself away from him and summoned her keyblade. No matter what, she couldn’t let him get away. Not when he had Terra with him. His gaze upon her fighting stance was impassive, though she thought she saw a hint of a smile on his face as he watched her advance upon him. 

She leapt forward but was too late to stop him from entering through the dark corridor; it shut itself just as she reached it. Damn it! She wanted to rage and shout (at both Xehanort and her own idiocy) but knew that it would do her no good. The best thing was to focus on what could be gleaned from the encounter. Xehanort was quick to boast of his control over Terra, but she knew Terra better than anyone else; she knew how strong-willed and determined he could be. She knew in her heart that Terra was not as beaten as he appeared to be, and that Xehanort did not control him as fully as he believed.


End file.
